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"I'd been wondering recently if I'd ever find another story that would honestly make me become overly emotional about it, like very few have. This was most definitely it. You've had me, all the way. I was teared up through two full chapters, I'm sure you can guess which ones. The emotion in this story is so true, so raw, and I couldn't help but to feel it. You've kept everything so real and human, and I'm entirely glad I found this story. Man, I've gotta hand it to you. In a fandom so huge as Harry Potter, in which this website alone has over 200 thousand different stories, you found a plot I have never before seen, or even considered. Kudos on that. And not only that factor, but the plot became just so extended and mystifying that it was impossible to step away. The characters are so real, and I really need to thank you for your dedication. There are so many characters that are typically tossed aside as unimportant, because the writer isn't their biggest fan. Each of the main characters at least are adequately built up. Even the characters you've created are fabulous.Usually when I find a story of this length and magnitude it starts out a little bumpy, but if it shows promise I continue on, believing it will get better. Honestly, I had no doubt in this, from the very first chapter. It started out dynamic and escalated from there, which I wasn't too sure was even possible." -In Dreams of FanFiction net.
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Blood Is Thicker Than Tears
Chapter Fifty-One
So lets face it, this was never what you wanted
But I know that its fun to pretend
Draco glanced over at the two boys' beside him as they hurried through the halls, careful to avoid being seen by people. For the moment, the hard part was getting out of the castle. With everybody on high alert after the Death Eater attack though, the school was practically on lock down. Professors were out walking the halls, students were being walked to the Great Hall by prefects and since Draco was Headboy, he too was expected to help out. Unfortunately, he had much more important business to attend to. He was fairly certain that the school was safe for now, it wasn't late and the Order had been paroling the grounds last time he checked. Of course, this could become another hindrance to him, Harry, and Ron. Slipping behind one of the many secret passageways to Hogsemeade, they sighed with relief at having made it that far.
"How many Order members were outside?" Harry's voice slipped into his mind.
They were getting better at their telepathic abilities, at least in the way that now they could sneak in without being noticed by the other. The were under agreeance not to go sifting through thoughts though, or feelings, as Draco had realized that there were a lot of things in his mind, in the dark corners, that he didn't want his brother to see. There were moments in his life, filled with agony and torture and he didn't want to utter the words, let alone have his brother witness them. All the same though, there were other times he wanted Harry to see; he wanted to share his childhood with Narcissa on some level. He also wanted Harry to be able to see James and Lily, to hear their voices and feel them hugging him. However, letting Harry into his mind could be dangerous and he wasn't willing to let him go far.
"I saw three near the Black Lake, but I heard McGonagall mention four more on the other side of the castle. She was talking with Hagrid, trying to keep her voice low. She sounded scared though," he replied.
They kept their abilities secret, deciding that if no one knew, there was a chance that Voldemort would never find out. It would be a useful tool during battle, something that could save their lives. All the same though, it could also become a treacherous problem, pulling them away from their own fight to focus on each other, as Dumbledore had warned them during training. Thoughts of the hard and rough regiment they had to perform that day made his body ache with remembrance. Even after a hot shower and the warm embrace of Hermione, his body was still feeling the painful strain of the stress he had undergone while working out.
It wasn't just his body that hurt though, but his mind too. The War was coming, he could feel it inside of him; almost as if he could feel Voldemort and shared the scar along with his brother. Their mission tonight was important, more so than what his mind and body was straining through. If they found this horcrux, they would be one step closer to defeating the Dark Lord who constantly wreaked havoc in their lives. Revenge would be theirs, victory to the light side of the Wizarding world, and finally, the twins would be able to enjoy a normal life.
"D'you think they'll close the school?" Harry wondered, his voice showing a sign of remorse in his voice.
"Hopefully," Draco told him. "It'll be easier for us to train and hunt horcruxes, and safer for the students that leave."
"Will it really?" Harry asked, unsure.
"What d'you mean?"
"Think about it. The school will be bare then; a sense of victory to the Dark side, even if they didn't manage to kill anyone. And are the students really all that more safe outside of the school?" he queried, explaining his discomfort at the castle being free of students.
"Without us around them?" Draco turned to him, his eyes serious. "Yes."
"Okay," Ron said, pulling them from their thoughts. "We apparate to outside of St. Mungo's, because I left Draco's car there," he told them, simply. "I did a little searching around- Yes, Harry, I researched something," he said, irritably. "While you two were off playing warrior, I found The Daily Prophet and figured it out; about the muggle orphanage."
Staring at him incredulously, the two boys simply opened and closed their mouths like fish out of water.
"Bloody hell, I'm not completely daft, you know," Ron said, huffing. "Anyway, I found out that the orphanage is in London, not too far from St. Mungo's, actually."
"All right," Draco agreed, nodding. "Sounds easy enough."
"Yes, well the hard part will be when we actually arrive at the orphanage, won't it?" Harry said, somberly.
Our blank stares and empty threats
Are all I have
They're all I have
Making their way through the hidden escape route, they found themselves just outside of Hogsmeade; behind them, past the tall fence, was the Quidditch Pitch looming in the distance. Turning, they hurried to find some place to keep hidden from the various people still out in the small town. A ruckus could be heard coming from the Hog's Head, before a door opened and a man with a heavy hood covering his face stumbled out. He was making his way toward them, seemingly unknowing that he was going in the direction of the three boys. They could smell him from their position at least twenty feet away, reeking of goats and Firewhiskey.
Ron pushed them, trying to get them to follow him over to the dark alley way on their right. Snapping out of their thoughts as the twins stared at the tall man before them, they hurried over to hide. Draco watched him, getting an uneasy feeling but having no reason to believe he was anything but a drunk.
"Do you feel it too?" Harry's voice echoed in his head.
"Who is he, d'you think?" Draco asked back.
"Bloody Potter twins," the man cursed, tripping on his feet once more. "They'll get their just desserts," he muttered, shaking his head. "Them and their unborn children," he said, knocking his head back and cackling into the cool night air.
Draco felt his blood run cold, staring at the man in front of them. His eyes fell, staring down at the ground around the man before them, realizing that it wasn't just a drunken stupor that had him tripping, but rather the cat that milled around his legs. Swallowing, he turned back to Harry, his eyes dark. "He knows," he told him telepathically, shaking his head.
"We don't know what side he's on," Harry replied, his face curling with anger and his hand tightening around his wand.
"He's cursing us and our unborn children, I don't think he wants to be our best friend," Draco said, frowning.
"Yes, but he hates everyone," Harry reminded, cocking his brow.
"Hates them enough to get drunk, curse only them and vow that they'll get what's coming to them?" Draco asked, pointedly. "Yes, he hates everyone, but what better way to get back at those you hate, then to relay information to their worst enemy?"
"Do you really think he's on their side? That he's been feeding off information to Voldemort about us?" Crossing his arms, Harry watched the rather thin man as he swayed in his walking.
"I have no reason not to believe that," Draco replied, his eyes hard as he glared over at the older man.
"Are we going, or will be hangin' 'round to watch every drunkard that comes out?" Ron asked, impatiently.
"Weren't you listening to him? You do realize who that is, don't you?" Harry asked, turning back to him.
"Course not, he's just some drunk old git with a cat following him home, so what?" Ron asked, stepping forward. "It's not like-" Suddenly, his face paled, catching sight of exactly who it is. "Wha's he doing here? Shouldn't he be back at the school?" he whisper-shouted.
"That's the point," Draco said, scowling. "After an attack like last night, what's he doing roaming around The Hog's Head? Unless..." he hinted, staring at Ron with dark eyes.
"He's against us," Ron finished, nodding. "Well, should we be letting him get away then?" he wondered, frowning.
"What can we do?" Harry asked, sighing. "We're supposed to be on our way to London by now."
"We'll deal with it when we get back," Draco told them, peeling his eyes away from the man he felt a heated detest for. "We'll talk to Dumbledore in the morning. Right now, we focus on what needs to be done."
Now you still speak of day old hate
Though your whole world has gone up into flames
"Right," Ron agreed. "Er, I still haven't got my apparition licence. Which one of you can I hitch a ride with?" he asked, smiling sheepishly.
"Just grab my arm," Draco said, lifting it out.
"You can do side-along apparition?" Harry asked, surprised.
Draco nodded, tipping his head. "My mother taught me how," he told them. "Lucius made me learn how to apparate when I was much younger though; felt it was a requirement to be able to do things most other wizard's my age couldn't. So I've been doing it illegally for years, at least until I got my licence awhile back."
Nodding, Harry didn't make an comment, feeling slightly out of place saying things about Lucius and his parenting skills. It had been a sore spot since Draco had been left in the dungeons with him. He didn't want to ask him anything too personal, he knew why he didn't kill him, but he couldn't help but wonder if he regretted his decision. All Harry knew, was that Draco had suffered through a lot with Lucius, as shown in the medical records he'd heard read out. He, personally, wanted to kill Lucius for what happened to Draco over the years, but he knew well enough that he couldn't be the one to kill him. It was all up to Draco how he wanted to handle the man that had beat and tortured him for sixteen long years.
"Right then," Ron said, wrapping his hand around Draco's forearm. He looked quite pale, given that side-along apparition was rather dangerous. Obviously he didn't want to be splinched; he had enough faith though, trusting that Draco knew what he was doing. "Let's get this over with."
Nodding, Draco closed his eyes, focusing his mind. A moment later, he heard the crack of him appearing where he needed to be. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing in front of the old building of St. Mungo's that was disguised from muggles. Not a moment later, Harry appeared beside them, glancing over at the building with a sense of sadness as memories of his last visit bombarded him. The gleaming car that had been left just a few days before sat parked at an angle, the street lights bouncing off its sleek body.
"I'm surprised it hasn't been stolen," Ron commented, walking over to it.
"There are tons of anti-theft charms placed on. If anyone who isn't given permission to drive it even touches it, it burns their hands and sends a message to their brains to leave as quickly as they can," Draco told him.
Unlocking the doors, Ron passed the keys back to Draco and climbed in the back seat. Harry walked around to the passenger seat, kneeling down and frowning for a moment. His eyes glazed over with remorse for a moment, staring down at the dry blood over the seat. Sitting down in the driver's seat, Draco simply shook his head at him. Waving his wand, he cleaned the mess up and cocked his head in a manner telling Harry to get in the car. Closing the door beside him, he stuck the key in the ignition and waited for it to warm up a bit.
"How far is this place?" Draco asked, turning his head to see Ron.
"'Bout an hour away if you go the speed limit," Ron replied, shrugging as he leaned forward to write the directions down on the map Draco would need to find his way around.
Snorting, Draco shook his head, shifting the car into Drive. "Speed limit," he said, rolling his eyes. "In this car, that's just an insult."
Buckling his seat belt, Harry grinned as the car growled with a surge of endless power. Turning, he smirked at his brother, meeting his mischievous hazel eyes with his own emerald green ones. In a flash, the city around them became nothing more than a blur. Harry didn't bother checking the speedometer, knowing that the car was reaching a speed that would likely make them appear as nothing more than a flash across the eyes.
"Is it magically charmed too?" he wondered, grinning happily as the car flew past everything. He briefly wondered how it was his brother was able to handle a car at such a break neck speed, though he was able to when he was trying to get them to St. Mungo's.
Draco nodded, his eyes never leaving the road. "Only to go much more fast than any muggle car could," he replied. "It doesn't fly though. I've always wanted a flying car; any guy who has one of those, is one very lucky bastard."
Harry didn't have to look back at his friend to know that he was grinning; as Ron's father had one, charmed it himself in fact. "So how long do you think it'll take?" he wondered.
"Thirty minutes," Draco told him, nodding. "It may be fast, but it's not completely unrealistic."
"If it were, I might've actually been able to get you to St. Mungo's," Harry said, feeling rather upset about the whole thing. He hadn't spoken to him about it, as he had been otherwise occupied with Luna and Death Eaters. Now that things had settled mildly though, he was feeling the effects of his stupidity. There were so many things that had contributed to the night Draco had died and Harry couldn't help but feel responsible for a lot of it.
"You've gotta stop that," Draco said, glancing at him.
"Stop what?" Harry grumbled, looking out the window at the blur of lights.
"Blaming yourself," he replied, shaking his head. "Look, it's not your fault. Everything that happened, a lot of it was my own stupidity, not yours."
"I shouldn't have let you come," Harry said adamantly. "Not after you had just finished fighting that chiamera. You were bleeding, you needed to see Madame Pomfrey," he reminded, shaking his head. "I should've forced you into the Hospital Wing and went for Hermione without you."
"Com'on Harry, we both know he would've found a way out and came after us anyway," Ron butted in.
"He's right," Draco agreed. "You could've bound me to the cot but I still would've found a way in. Besides," he said, looking over at him with a smirk. "You guys needed me there."
"We would've survived. Found a way in without you somehow," Harry told him, turning from the window to stare at him with serious eyes.
"No you wouldn't have," Draco assured, shaking his head. "Treaty would've stopped you," he said, glancing at him.
"Treaty?" Harry asked, cocking his brow. "You honestly think a little house elf would've been able to stop all three of us?" He let out an amused chuckle, staring at him as if were completely out of his mind.
"If there is nothing you understand about my childhood," he said, turning his eyes to him. "Understand this- Treaty has been with me since I was brought there. She doesn't take my life lightly, and she would gladly lay hers on the line if it meant doing something for me. She killed the family dog when it nipped me as a baby, and then another house elf when it was found drowning me in the bath, and she took more beatings than I care to think of when Lucius turned on her for speaking out against his attacks on me. I told her I was coming that night, I warned her to be on alert. If I hadn't been there with you, she would've tore your heads off, set them on pikes, and laid them out in the front lawn as a warning," he explained, seriously.
Gulping slightly, Ron's eyes widened as he leaned back in the seat with a sigh. "When someone's loyal to you, they're really loyal," he muttered.
"You have no idea," Draco said, glancing at him through the mirror. "Now that night was unfortunate," he said, returning his attention to his quiet brother. "A lot of things happened that probably shouldn't have. I shouldn't have left you out of fighting the chiamera; we're stronger together than apart. I should have asked Pomfrey for some kind of medical attention, even if it was something that wouldn't last permanently. But instead, I chose to believe I could do it without her. That was my fault, not yours. There was nothing any of you could've said to keep my from coming." Sighing, he took a turn sharply, causing all three of them to swing to the right. "And as for what happened in the dungeon," he said, lowly. "Well, you can be assured that none of that was your fault," he told him, his eyes darkening. "In the end, you did your best to get me help. I know you were scared, I know Hermione was completely out of it, and I know Ron was being level headed through it all. It was a messed up night, Harry. But you can't blame yourself for everything, and what happened then is certainly nothing you could've changed."
"But-"
"Seriously little brother," Draco said, turning to him with a smirk. "You're strong, but did you really think there was any way you could've stopped me?" Cocking his eyebrow, he shook his head. "Wounded or not, there was no way you would've been able to stop me from getting to her."
Sighing, Harry glowered at him before turning around.
"Put yourself in my place," he told him, turning the wheel quickly. "Think of the whole thing in my place, pretend it's Luna whose in the cell, and you can feel her dying," he said, quietly. "You'll know," he assured. "You'll know that there was absolutely no way that even the Boy-Who-Lived could stop me."
Turning, Harry stared at Draco, nodding slowly.
And isn't it great to find that you're really worth nothing
And how safe it is to feel safe
It wasn't that much longer before Ron was leaning forward, pointing out at their destination with a grim expression. "How the bloody hell are we going to find a horcrux in that disaster?" he asked, frowning.
Draco pulled the car up in front of the huge mess of cement, wood, and burnt furniture. Pushing his car door open, he climbed out to assess the damage. Ron appeared next to him, having climbed out from the back seat, his hands ran through his hair in mild frustration. Harry let out a defeated sigh from the other side of the car as he leaned against the hood, shaking his head.
Shrugging, Draco turned to them. "Well, there's three of us," he said, frowning. "Search for anything with House crests," he reminded. "Or anything out of the ordinary."
Nodding, they shut the doors of the car and walked over to the huge mess of a crumbled orphanage. There was an entire wall still standing in the very back, the cement was imprinted with a scattering of black from being burned. Pipes and various metal objects stuck up out of the rubble, looking incredibly dangerous. Various chunks of wood, including doors and window frames were strewn out all over. Whatever the Death Eaters used for their attack, they had managed to destroy everything, which rather worried the boys as they approached everything.
"If they were looking for the horcrux, why blow everything up?" Harry asked, shaking his head.
"A warning," Draco suggested, kicking half of a door out of the way. "They probably know that The Order is looking for Voldemort's horcruxes. I bet they were supposed to get the horcrux first, then destroy the orphanage, but they messed up."
"What makes you think they haven't got it?" Ron wondered, climbing up a huge boulder-like piece of cement.
"They hung around," he replied, looking over to them. "The paper said the Death Eaters were still around, searching through things. Dumbledore even told us that The Order was trying to round them up. Meaning they hadn't found what they were looking for. Which is why were going to find it tonight, before the Death Eaters or The Order," he told them, grabbing onto a curved metal bar, pulling himself up.
Harry nodded as he crossed the charred remains in front of him, his foot caught on a thick slab of wood, pitching him forward. His eyes widened when he saw that he was headed straight for a sharp pipe, coming to a lethal point directed at his stomach. His body was falling in slow motion but he knew it was really just a delayed reaction. A nervous chuckle escaped his throat, as there was no way anybody could get to him or fix being impaled by it. Just as he was sure it would go through his stomach, however, he found himself hovering but an inch away. Letting out the breath he held, his stomach brushed the sharp edge. Looking around, he couldn't explain what had happened. Closing his eyes, he focused on standing up straight and surprisingly found himself pitching back to stand upright.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked, staring at him with shocked eyes.
"I- I don't know," Harry replied, shaking his head. "One minute I was falling, the next I'm hovering. I made myself stand back too, I somehow told my body to move and pull away from the pole. I didn't push myself back; I just sort of flew back somehow."
"Wandless magic?" Draco suggested, shrugging. "Let's just be happy you didn't impale yourself," he said, nodding. "I don't know how forgiving the Gods will be if you die again. I mean, I'm devilishly handsome and funny, they had good reason to bring me back."
Snorting, Harry shook his head but began walking again to look through the jagged, rough remains of the building. He knew Draco was just using humor to hide his feelings, the way his face had blanched was quite obvious. Plus, Harry managed to get a wave of emotions from him; one of the more dominant being complete terror. As his eyes scanned his surrounding, he let out a long sigh. He had no idea how long it was going to take, but it didn't appear to be a small job. "How sure are we that The Order isn't going to show up?" he wondered. "We could use the extra help."
"They're too busy with the school tonight," Draco told him, lifting a chunk of cement out of the way and tossing it to the side. "Now, Death Eaters, they have no reason not to show up tonight," he reminded, honestly. "So, we should really be on alert."
Ron tossed a rock-like chunk of the building behind his head and then sat up with a frown. "What if the horcrux was inside the building?" he wondered.
"That's why we're looking through the rubble," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "We'll have to dig down basically to the bottom."
"No," Ron said, picking up a thick brick. "What if it's inside the building?"
Draco's face paled while his shoulders sagged. "He has a point," he admitted, sighing. Standing up, he brushed his grey dust covered hands. "Okay, we're looking for an object, filled with Dark magic, right?" he asked, sitting down on a protruding piece of the wall.
Harry nodded, crossing his arms.
"Well, obviously there isn't going to be much magic used here, as it's a muggle orphanage, right?" he queried, leaning back on his arms.
"Right," Ron agreed, drawing out the word as he crossed the uneven ground to stand by Harry.
"Well then, all I have to do is use my wand to search for it. There's a spell I learned when I was younger, from Malfoy of course, that can seek out Dark Magic. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I guess I figured we'd just have to look through the junk to find what we were looking for. But now that I think about it, Ron's right, it could be placed inside the walls of the building," he finished, shaking his head. "Obviously there is no way we can search every single piece of cement here, so this will be much easier."
"Sounds great to me," Harry said, walking toward him. "So how do we do it?"
"To find Dark Magic, you have to be skilled in Dark Magic," he told them, his eyes falling. "So unless either of you are well in tuned with the many books on it, there's really nothing you can do," he said, his voice indifferent. "You might not want to stand up here though, maybe go by the car just to be safe."
"Will you be safe?" Harry wondered, tipping his head with a worried expression.
"Of course," Draco said with a smirk. "I was Draco Malfoy," he reminded. "Dark Magic was second nature," he told them, though his voice had a noticeable tinge of regret.
"Okay," Harry said, carefully making his way back to the car.
"This won't take long," Draco called to them, shaking his head. "But don't come after me if you hear anything," he told them, his eyes looking away. "Don't do anything until it's over."
"Draco-" Harry's voice raised a notch, not liking how he phrased it.
"Stay where you are little brother, this'll be one great show," he assured, lifting his head with an unwavering smirk.
So drown me.. if you can
Or we could just have conversation
Lifting his wand, he began swirling it around his head and slashing it across both him and the ground around him. His mouth moved and his eyes closed but no words escaped his mouth.
Suddenly the ground around them began to shake, thumping, lifting the rubble and making it jump slightly. To Harry it sounded like a thick heart beat, pounding the ground and the air around them. A black glow surrounded Draco expanding and shrinking with every thump of the beat. Harry felt a chill run down him as his brother's eyes appeared to glow white, his face turning every which way as he looked over the ground.
"Soddin' hell," Ron breathed, watching it all before him in shocked awe. "I don't know if I should be happy or terrified that it's working."
Nodding slowly, Harry silently agreed.
"Advenio Atrum Res Rei!" Draco shouted, his voice becoming thick and dark, sounding completely unlike him.
Harry felt a scared shiver run down his spine. Reaching out with his mind, he tried to connect with him, tried to see what he was thinking or feeling. He knew he shouldn't, but to see him pulsating with darkness had made him fearful of his brother's life. Unfortunately, instead of getting into his regular mind and being able to talk to him mentally, he was sucked into Draco's memories; and not the good kind. Instead of the unusually calm feelings he would regularly get, he was swamped with a scream ringing in his ears, and blood rushing over his eyes. He felt his body fall to the ground while his mind refused to disconnect from Draco's.
Suddenly, things became clear and he looked down to see that he was just a little boy. The boy, however, was not him, but his brother, and he was sitting in a large bathtub. Looking around, he saw a house elf enter the room, smirking at him with an odd expression.
Opening his mouth, Harry meant to say something.
"No, Little Malfoy sir, Tabroy has come to help you finish your bath. Mistress Malfoy told Tabroy to make sure Little Malfoy washes behind his ears," he said, reaching out and pressing his knobby hands on Harry's (Draco's) shoulders, "And Tabroy always listens to his masters," the house-elf said in a sad tone.
Before Harry could think to react, he was being pushed beneath the water, his eyes blurred immediately and his mouth fell open to scream. His small hands reached out, tugging on the side of the bath, grabbing the arms of the house-elf meaning to murder him, but he found he wasn't being raised from the deathly water. He was too small, not strong enough to get himself out of what he was laying in.
"Little Malfoy doesn't understand why Tabroy must do this," he said, shaking his head solemnly. "Little Malfoy isn't evil and neither is Tabroy. But Tabroy cannot let Little Malfoy become weapon for Dark Lord," he explained, a large tear forming in his giant blue eyes. "One day, Tabroy will be recognized as hero. Tabroy mustn't let Little Malfoy continue living. Little Malfoy is far too dangerous but Tabroy will stop you. Tabroy must disobey Mistress Malfoy for safety of Wizarding world."
Just as Harry felt his eyes begin to cloud and his arms relax from flailing for safety, another house elf appeared in the bathroom, a vicious scowl on her face. Harry recognized her immediately as Treaty, Draco's faithful friend from the Manor. Quickly, the protective elf grabbed a hold of Tabroy, grabbing his head and ripping him back from the tub. Reaching out, she hooked her hand around Harry's arm and pulled him up. Upon coming out of the water, Harry inhaled huge gusts of air, choking out water and making a terrified noise.
Turning from him, Treaty stared down at the quivering mess of a house elf on the floor, trying in vain to scurry away from her. "Tabroy dares hurt Master Draco," she exclaimed, her hands reaching out to grab the small house elf. She held him high in the air, her eyes staring up at him with burning intensity. "Tabroy took oath to keep Master Draco safe," Treaty reminded. "Does Tabroy remember consequences of breaking oath to Treaty?" she asked, her voice low.
"No Treaty, Tabroy was looking out for good of Wizarding world," he told her, shaking his scared, crying head. Pointing a long, bony finger at Harry, his face curled with anger. "Little Malfoy will be used to destroy Boy-Who-Lived and bring He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named to power!" he said in a quivering voice.
"No," Treaty replied, shaking her head. "Treaty will not let Master Draco be that. Treaty has pledged life to Mistress Malfoy, to make sure Master Draco never becomes like Master Malfoy," she reminded. "And Tabroy pledged his life too, in his oath to Treaty that he never harm Master Draco," she said, shaking her head. "Treaty cannot let Tabroy go unpunished," she told him, her eyes dark with anger. "Tabroy must pay for harming Master Draco!"
"No Treaty, Tabroy is sorry! Tabroy will not hurt Master Draco again," he promised, letting out a wailing cry. "Bad Tabroy, Tabroy knows he has done very bad!" he said, beating himself in the head with a curled fist.
"Yes," Treaty said letting the house elf down on his feet. "Tabroy has done very bad," she agreed, nodding. "And so Tabroy will understand that Treaty must keep Master Draco safe from Tabroy," she told him, her hands on his shoulder.
"Yes, Tabroy understand. Tabroy will never hurt Little Malfoy again," he said, nodding quickly.
"No, Tabroy won't," she agreed. "Because Tabroy will never see Master Draco again. Because Tabroy must face consequences of breaking oath," she told him, her voice low and only slightly remorseful. Before Tabroy could respond, Treaty wrapped her hands around the small elf's neck and snapped it in two, letting out a sickening crack. Tabroy fell to the ground, his body laying in a mangled position. Making a tutting noise, Treaty snapped her fingers, ridding the body from the floor.
Turning back around, she grabbed a towel and helped Harry stand up, wrapping it around him. Patting his head, she smoothed his wet hair. "Treaty will never let Master Draco be hurt," she promised. "Treaty is Master Draco's faithful house elf and she will always keep Master Draco safe," she assured.
As the bathroom scene ended, Harry could still feel water dripping down his face. His chest heaved, still scared from feeling the effects of drowning. Before he could think of it too much, he was dragged back into another memory, much scarier than the last. Once again, he saw nothing but blood across his eyes and heard a scream in his ears. Blinking rapidly, he tried to clear his vision.
Harry looked around him, finding nothing but the darkness of a bedroom surrounding him. Looking to the side, he recognized the doors leading to the balcony and knew he was in Draco's room. Looking down at himself, he figured he was around eight years old. Hearing loud thumping noises, he jumped out of his bed, finding that he wasn't completely in control of the body he was inside, since he was only seeing through Draco's eyes.
Pulling open the bedroom door, he hurried out, calling out loudly. "Mother?" his small voice shouted in worry. "Mother are you okay?"
The door down the hall burst open and a very angry Lucius Malfoy stared back at him. "Back to bed Draco," he screamed, pointing.
"Where's Mother?" Harry heard Draco's voice ask, defiantly.
"What did I just tell you?" Malfoy yelled, running down the hall and grabbing hold of Harry's arm painfully. "You do not question me!" he bellowed.
"I- I want to see Mother," he said, staring down the hall with scared but strong eyes.
"Draco," his mother's voice called, weakly. "Draco darling, go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
Shaking his head, Draco looked up at Lucius before wrenching his arm away and hurrying down the hall to the bedroom his mother was in. He closed and locked the door, hoping it would hold off Malfoy for awhile. There, in the center of the floor, lay his mother in a puddle of her own blood. Her head lolled to one side, tears slipping out the sides of her eyes. "Come here my beautiful little boy," she said, her voice a mere whisper.
Sniffling, Draco hurried over to her, ignoring that he was kneeling in blood. He burrowed his head against her shoulder, his hands holding on to her silken blonde hair. The pounding on the door became more persistent but Draco ignored it. "We should leave mummy," he told her, leaning back and staring down at her face. He reached out to brush away her tears with his curled hand. "Just me and you and I promise I won't let him hurt you anymore," he told her, nodding.
"I want to, love," she told him, smiling weakly. "But there are things that I cannot control."
Shaking his head, Draco's face curled into sadness, tears bursting down his face. "That's what you say every time," he sobbed, taking her hands. "I don't want you to hurt anymore, mummy. I don't want you to cry anymore." Letting out a wail, his eyes looked around worriedly. "I don't want to lose you."
Narcissa's breathing was shallow as she reached out to cradle Draco against her. "As long as I have you, there is no pain, no tears, my darling. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, I will be there for you always."
The door burst open and an enraged Lucius Malfoy stalked across the floor, ripping Draco away from Narcissa, who reached out for him weakly. Her eyes were wide and scared as she stared up at his face. "Please, Lucius, don't hurt him."
"Don't hurt him?" he asked, shaking his head. "He defies me, locks me out of my own room, and you expect me to just tell him to go to bed? As if nothing has happened?" Laughing malevolently, he stared down at her with cold eyes. "You should know me better than that Narcissa."
Whipping his arm back, Lucius threw Draco at the fireplace, his head colliding with the hard bricks. The grate managed to slice his side open as he tumbled to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth as his teeth had punctured his lip. Coughing, he tried to roll over but his stomach burned with pain. Harry could feel the tears rising up in his eyes, but no whimpering noises escaped him. Loud footsteps approached and Harry felt the body he inhabited tense up. A moment later a sharp kick sliced into his stomach, knocking him up from the ground a few inches and causing all of his air to leave him.
"You worthless child," Lucius spat. "You never listen! How many times have I taught you? No personal connections, Draco. Not to me, not to your mother, not to anyone. For once, take what I tell you and listen to it." Reaching down, he grabbed his hair, pulling him up to eye level. "I will not teach you to be my heir if you continue on with this. And you know what happens to you if you are not my heir, don't you Draco."
"No Father," Draco whimpered, trying to push away from him.
"It'll be the dungeons for you, Draco. You know what happens in the dungeons, don't you?" he asked, viciously. Pulling his arm back, he threw Draco across the room, grinning madly as he hit the open door. "Get to your room, you pathetic boy. You've bothered your mother and me enough," he spat.
Managing to get to his feet, Draco sent one last terrified look at his mother before dragging himself out of the room. The door slammed behind him and he fell to the floor, spitting up blood. His hands curled around the carpet, trying to pull himself closer to his room. A sad tsking noise could be heard ahead of him and he strained to lift his head in the direction he heard it.
"Master Draco," Treaty said, reaching out and picking him up in her little arms. "Treaty hates seeing you like this," she told him, shaking her head. "Every week, Master Draco. Every week you try and save her, only to have Master Malfoy teach you another of his painful lessons," she said, sadly. "Treaty must warn Master Draco that he is just a boy and mustn't be getting himself into his parents business. Treaty wants Master Draco to reach his seventeenth birthday." Placing him in his bed, she ran a hand over his lip, healing the wound. "That way, Master Draco and Mistress Malfoy can run away from Master Malfoy. And Treaty will come with you, because Treaty must always be there for Master Draco."
"One day, Treaty," Draco said, his voice quiet. "One day I will stop him and mummy will agree to leave with me," he told her, nodding. "And you will come with us to a far off place, where daddies don't hurt mummies or their sons."
"Yes Master Draco," Treaty said, tucking him in. "One day."
Harry could feel his side hurting from hitting the grate of the fireplace, he could feel his mouth aching from where the teeth had punctured. His eyes swam with tears, seeing Narcissa lying in her own blood, hearing the words Draco had to say to her, to Treaty. He felt his chest pounding out of his chest, he had no idea just how cruel things had been for him. He understood part of it, but hearing the things that had happened was so different from feeling them. The echoing of the scream filled his ears once more and the red covered his eyes, he pleaded for it to stop, he couldn't watch another memory flash before his eyes, but he had no choice.
"I'm so tired of this," Lucius' voice filled Harry's mind. "Day in and day out, you are nothing but an insolent child," he screamed.
Harry was sitting in a chair, staring down at the floor, noticing only Lucius' polished shoes as they moved across the dark hardwood beneath him. His posture was straight and rigid, but Harry could feel the obvious feelings of unadulterated contempt running through him. He could feel his hands fisting and his jaw clenching with anger.
"Do you live to be nothing?" Lucius yelled, walking toward him.
A hand wrapped around Harry's chin, pulling it up so he could stare down at him. Harry could see Draco's face mirrored in Lucius' silver eyes though, staring up defiantly.
"I have given you everything, but all you do is spit on my generosity," he screamed in his face. "I teach you all there is to know about magic, dark and powerful, but all you do is tell me that it's wrong. You sit here, staring at me with compete hatred. Well, that's fine Draco, because I have never felt anything for you. You are a pitiful son, less than the garbage that is your stupid Treaty."
"Leave her alone," Draco shouted, unable to keep his temper in check.
"What is wrong with you, boy?" Lucius yelled, his eyes raging. "What is this hero complex you have? Your mother, that retarded house elf, and even that pathetic Trio your always going on about! We hate Potter," he reminded, his hand clenching around Harry's chin. "Do you understand me? I don't want to hear any more about how I treat your mother, or to leave Treaty alone. And I surely don't want to hear about your hero worship for that insufferable Harry Potter," he spat. "You are his worst enemy for a reason, Draco. You will have to go up against him one day."
"No," Draco said, trying to shake his head. "I'm not going to be part of the Dark side. I'm not like you!" he screamed.
"You're right, you're not," Lucius said, pulling him up out of the chair. "What did I tell you, Draco? What happens to the boy who isn't my son?"
The body Harry was in tried to wrench away from him, shaking his head. "No," he said, his voice low. "No, I won't go."
"Won't?" Lucius asked with a laugh. His eyes darkened as his hand wrapped around Draco's throat. "Who said you had a choice?" he queried, dragging Draco out of the room they were in. Moments later, after kicking and attempting to scream, Harry found they were standing in front of the heavy door leading to the dungeons.
"Please," Draco's voice whimpered, trying to get away. "Please father," he asked, his hands pulling at Lucius' arm, trying to free himself.
"Malfoy's do not plead," Lucius said, throwing Draco through the door, causing him to tumble down the stairs, his head colliding with the hard edges of the stairs. He stopped halfway down, his hands ripping apart as they tried to grab hold of the stairs.
Lucius stepped up beside him, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him up. "Why I ever accepted you, I do not know," he said.
Harry could feel Draco's confusion at the words, but he hardly had a moment to think it over before he was pressed against the wall. Green vines wrapped around him, their thorns pressing into his skin. Almost immediately, Harry could feel the body he was in cool as the blood was being sucked right out of him. His head lolled forward before a thick dark vine wrapped around his forehead, pulling him back. His mouth fell open, gasping for air but finding it hard to inhale at all. His body broke out with pain, thorns pressed into every crevice, every inch of his body.
Lucius stood in front of him, staring at him with a satisfied smirk.
Harry's eyes fell to see that Draco's body was slowly becoming a greyish colour, bloody pouring out of him and on or in to the plant around him. His eyes were becoming hazy and his chest heaved one last time for air. It seemed like hours had passed before the straining of his body ceased. Harry almost thought he had died, but then remembered that the nurse reading out Draco's records had explained that he had been the only survivor of the plant.
Which made sense, given the fact that his brother was not dead, but instead pulsing with dark magic somewhere in front of him. Harry still felt as if his body had been drained entirely of life. The blood curdling scream emitted through his ears and the dark shade covered his eyes, but he shook his head, unable to take it. Using all of his strength, he broke off his connection with his brother, only to find himself staring at Draco as he stopped, staring down at a large, thick piece of the wall.
With one swift motion of his hand, he had the large cement block hovering in the air before he threw it off somewhere unimportant. A bright white light was glowing from down where Draco was staring. Kneeling down, he dug his hand in and it emerged with a now red light surrounding it. He could see Draco's mouth move as he must've said the counter spell to stop his search. Almost immediately, the lights died down around them, his eyes slowly turning back to normal.
From where Harry was sitting, hunched on the ground, he could see a necklace hanging from Draco's hand, and a grin on his brother's face. Lifting it up, Draco turned it over, nodding. "The Slytherin Locket," he called over to them.
"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed, shaking his head.
"Let's get out of here," Draco shouted to them. "We'll destroy it back at the school."
Nodding, Harry pulled himself from the ground, trying to shake off what he had just witnessed. Draco didn't seem to realize what had happened, or he was too engrossed in knowing he was holding a horcrux to care. Whichever it was, Harry was grateful; he didn't know how he was going to tell him that he had accidentally broke into his thoughts and saw some of the worst moments of his life. Draco could be a very detached person and he likely wouldn't appreciate the intrusion. The crunch of gravel caught his attention then, knowing that it was coming from their side and not Draco as he crossed toward them.
And I fall, I fall, I falter.
I found you before I drift away
"Not so fast," a dark voice called out, as five cloaked and masked figures stepped out of the darkness. Tsking, one stepped close to the rubble, a long black cane in his grasp. "Now Draco," he said, shaking his head. "Hand the necklace over to your Father," he said in a voice laced with malice, holding out his arm. "Unless that is, you want to be punished for your misconduct."
"Sod of Malfoy," Draco told him, his eyes cold as ice. His grip on the necklace tightened and he moved his arm behind his back. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you have it."
"But we've been waiting patiently for you to find it, young one," another Death Eater called out, his voice raspy.
Draco simply glared at them, pure hatred pouring from his body language and the way his face was curled.
"Fine," Lucius said, removing his mask. "If you won't let me have it, I'll just have to take it," he told him, simply. Stepping up onto the huge disaster area, he shook his head. "Really, Draco, you should've learned by now." Turning back, he threw his cane out for someone to catch, before walking forward and sneering at him. "I bet you're wishing you had finished the job back at the Manor."
"I should've killed you years ago," Draco told him, angrily.
"Perhaps, but you were quite weak then, weren't you?" he asked, cocking his brow. "Yes, I seem to remember you often pleaded for the life of you and so many others."
"Because you were a heartless bastard," Draco reminded, shaking his head. "Constantly harming those that weren't as strong as you, weren't as vicious as you."
"And are you that now, Draco? Are you strong enough, vicious enough to kill me now?" Lucius wondered, his eyes flashing.
Draco's fingers moved in an odd fashion and Harry watched as the necklace disappeared from his palm, before Draco took out his wand, standing tall. "Yes," he assured, his eyes darkening.
"Amazing," Lucius said, sarcastically. "What must've happened over these past few days then, huh? Did your heart finally wither away like I'd been trying to cause all along? Hmm? Did the mudblood leave you, desperate and alone? Even she wants someone strong, Draco. Someone who doesn't quiver at the sight of Daddy," he said, smirking.
Shaking his head, Draco simply cocked his eyebrow. "Remember something, Malfoy," he said, lifting his chin. "You were never my father," he told him, lifting his wandless hand and throwing it out as if to push him, sending him flying through the air at an alarming speed.
Unfortunately, one of Lucius' many moronic helpers managed to send out a hovering charm, stopping him from being painfully smashed into the cement road just a few inches from his face. Lucius quickly made his way back over to Draco, slashing his wand through the air with a murderous glint in his eyes.
Seconds later, various large pieces of the rubble around him rose up and hovered just above Draco's head. Lucius smirked at him, shaking his head slowly. "You never learn, son," he said, before swishing his wand and letting the huge boulder sized chunks of cement fall down on the boy below.
Harry stared at him, his eyes wide and his face pale. Draco's lips moved but no sound escaped and Harry feared once more that it was a goodbye, or possibly even his last words to Hermione Knowing exactly what would happen when the boulders hit his brother, he screamed his name before closing his eyes, waiting for the pain to envelope them both. For if Draco was hurt, let alone dead, then Harry would surely go with him. Falling to his knees though, he shook his head in confusion. He could heard the rocks as they tumbled to the ground, he knew they were covering Draco now, but Harry couldn't feel a thing. What happened?
The things we do just to stay alive
The things we do just to keep ourselves alive
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A/N Hi guys, I'm so sorry this took awhile. I didn't mean for that to happen. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this. I really enjoyed writing it! Please review, I'd really like to know what you all think! I'll have another chapter to either Growing or Summer Haven up tonight. Possibly both! lol :D
The song is "Day Old Hate" by City and Colour.
Thanks for reading, please review; it's really appreciated.
Much Love,
-Amanda
